Mourning the Destruction of the Temple

We have been in exile for two thousand years, and yet our ancestors and forefathers never ceased to miss the Temple. It is true that even in exile we are forced to find rest for our feet, even in exile each of us makes sure that he has a home to live in, but deep down everyone knows that we aspire to go up to Jerusalem and see the building of the Temple. Chazal obligated us to make a "remembrance of the destruction." The Shulchan Aruch brings all the laws related to the "remembrance of the destruction" so that the destruction of the Temple will be before our eyes all year round, and so that we will never stop wishing and expecting the rebuilding of the Temple.

During these days, we are immersed in the Nine Days, depriving ourselves of the pleasures of this world, refraining from eating meat and drinking wine, and refraining from bathing and lubrication. This is the symbol of our anticipation for the building of the Temple. It is so sad to see someone who tries to arrange his life for himself, and tries to ease the fasts and sigufim from himself, because the deeper the exile, the thicker the darkness, the greater the expectation and the greater the hope. When Napoleon saw the Jews mourning the destruction, he had already spoken: "A people that mourns for two thousand years will surely soon see consolation." Amen, yes, may it be desired.